HK strikers not backing down
Source: Agencies |
April 4, 2013, Thursday
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STRIKING Hong Kong dockworkers refused to back down yesterday in a weeklong pay dispute that is slowing cargo shipments at the world's third busiest port.
Several hundred workers and supporters are camped out on the road in front of a container terminal. The workers are demanding a 20 percent pay rise but subcontractors supplying labor to port operators are offering 5 percent.
Hutchison International Terminals, controlled by Asia's richest individual, Li Ka-shing, operates the terminal where the workers are on strike. Officials have said the action is costing the company HK$5 million (US$644,000) a day.
The company has distanced itself from the dispute, saying the stevedores are not Hutchison employees. It said terminal operations are continuing but truck traffic in the area where the strikers are camped has slowed down.
Hong Kong is the world's third busiest port by container volume, behind Shanghai and Shenzhen, according to World Shipping Council data.
"There are some disruptions, particularly for the importers," which are seeing some shipments of perishable goods like fruit rotting because they're sitting on the dock longer, said Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Shippers' Council. "On the export side it's slower to get the containers out of the terminals."
Lin said he'd heard that truck drivers were one to three hours late picking up and dropping off shipments because of the strike, but "so far we haven't seen major disruptions."
The Shippers' Council, which represents importers, exporters and manufactures, has advised its members to arrange backup plans in case the strike drags on, including having shipments move through other ports in China.
Some shipping companies are already taking precautions. Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines reported several delays and diverted two ships from Hong Kong because of the strike.
The dispute intensified after a magazine report that said a Hutchison executive, Gerry Yim, was a director of a labor subcontractor involved in the dispute. Yim called the article "very misleading and inaccurate."
Lee Cheuk-yan, a legislator and union leader, said the dockworkers were angry about the subcontractors.
"When there are layers of companies exploiting the workers, workers get very little," Lee said.
Hong Kong is a major transfer point for goods coming in and out of the Chinese mainland.
Several hundred workers and supporters are camped out on the road in front of a container terminal. The workers are demanding a 20 percent pay rise but subcontractors supplying labor to port operators are offering 5 percent.
Hutchison International Terminals, controlled by Asia's richest individual, Li Ka-shing, operates the terminal where the workers are on strike. Officials have said the action is costing the company HK$5 million (US$644,000) a day.
The company has distanced itself from the dispute, saying the stevedores are not Hutchison employees. It said terminal operations are continuing but truck traffic in the area where the strikers are camped has slowed down.
Hong Kong is the world's third busiest port by container volume, behind Shanghai and Shenzhen, according to World Shipping Council data.
"There are some disruptions, particularly for the importers," which are seeing some shipments of perishable goods like fruit rotting because they're sitting on the dock longer, said Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Shippers' Council. "On the export side it's slower to get the containers out of the terminals."
Lin said he'd heard that truck drivers were one to three hours late picking up and dropping off shipments because of the strike, but "so far we haven't seen major disruptions."
The Shippers' Council, which represents importers, exporters and manufactures, has advised its members to arrange backup plans in case the strike drags on, including having shipments move through other ports in China.
Some shipping companies are already taking precautions. Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines reported several delays and diverted two ships from Hong Kong because of the strike.
The dispute intensified after a magazine report that said a Hutchison executive, Gerry Yim, was a director of a labor subcontractor involved in the dispute. Yim called the article "very misleading and inaccurate."
Lee Cheuk-yan, a legislator and union leader, said the dockworkers were angry about the subcontractors.
"When there are layers of companies exploiting the workers, workers get very little," Lee said.
Hong Kong is a major transfer point for goods coming in and out of the Chinese mainland.
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